Costume strap



April 30, 1957 B. E. BLITCH 2,790,177

COSTUME STRAP Fi1ed Jan. 21, 1955 BEULAH ELIZABETH BLI7'CH INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY COSTUME STRAP Beulah Elizabeth Blitch, San Antonio, Tex.

Application January 21, 1955, Serial No. 483,398

1 Claim. (Cl. 2-74) This invention relates to wearing apparel for women and has reference to shoulder straps.

An object of the invention is to provide a quick and inexpensive means of changing the appearance of a costume without the removal of the garment from the body.

Another object of the invention is to provide multiple variation in converting a dress into as many different styles as propriety of the occasion demands.

A further object of the invention is to provide an economical and easy means of increasing the length of time and number of seasons that a dress may be worn without alteration of the garment proper.

It is the practice among well dressed women to Wear a different type costume for ordinary town or day wear from the type she would wear for late afternoon or evening. Most frocks are basic as to having a skirt and bodice, the latter being the part of the dress most frequently determining the occasion on which it is worn. In accordance with the invention plain dressless bodices may be quickly transformed into one having ornaments or other adornments over :one or both shoulders, narrow, wide or jewelled straps, yoke or sleeve etfect without the wearers removal of the garment, thereby saving time. By employing this unique means the wearer may enjoy a mu1titude of changes at the mere cost of adding new straps and auxiliary parts to her wardrobe, thereby giving her a variation in costumes at a low cost.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevation view of a detachable shoulder strap in the worn position.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the shoulder strap as illustrated in Figure l, and showing the addition of a jewelled ribbon superimposed on said strap.

Figure 3 is a broken perspective view of an end portion of a detachable shoulder strap as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a broken elevational view of the depending end of the shoulder strap attached to a garment.

States Patent "ice Figures 5 and 6 are perspective illustrations of exemplary variations attached to shoulder straps such as shown above.

In practical use an inner or under shoulder strap 10 of suitable fabric is sewed or otherwise secured to a. standard detachable and adjustable lingerie support 11 in the usual manner leaving a length of said fabric, as at 12, at one end for adiusting said strap to the wearers shoulder, and which strap may be attached to or detached from the wearers under or outer garment. Loops 13 for receiving the hooks 14 of the support 11 may be secured to the garment in such a way as to be invisible when it is desired to wear the same without straps.

An exemplary form of the invention provides an outer or decorative strap 15, ruifle 16 or yoke 17 on the under strap 10 so as to give a pleasing appearance to the apparel being worn.

On the outer strap 15 and beneath the lining 18 thereof, there may be inserted through a slit 19 a length of stilfening material 20 extending the length of an extended portion 21 of said strap to prevent the latter from slipping out of place and to cover the hooks 14. Additionally, the extending stiffening material may be relatively heavy for holding the ends of the straps 10 in place.

It is to be understood that the invention is capable of other variations; for example, sleeves, not shown, may be secured to the detachable straps 10, or a dickey may be secured thereacross. Within the spirit and intention of the invention, other type fasteners, such as snap fasteners, may be employed instead of the hooks 14. The invention is capable of many variations within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In combination with a strapless bodice, shoulder straps detachably secured to the upper edge of said bodice on each side thereof, a decorative strap secured on and covering the outer surface of each shoulder strap, said decorative straps being longer than said shoulder straps providing extending ends positioned on the outer surface of said bodice and extending below the upper edge thereof, and stiffening material secured to the inner surface of the extending ends of said decorative straps, said stiffening material also being positioned over and extending inwardly of each end of each shoulder strap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,317,621 Donaldson Sept. 30, 1919 1,424,329 Walsh Aug. 1, 1922 1,496,705 De Forest June 3, 1924 1,607,810 Behuke Nov. 23, 1926 2,402,782 Schwartz June 25, 1942 2,529,774 Landau Nov. 14, 1950 

